Physician satisfaction with pay: Breakdown by state, metro area

How does geography affect physician satisfaction with pay?

Marit Health asked physicians to rank their satisfaction with their compensation on a five-point scale, with one being very dissatisfied and 5 being very satisfied. On average, physicians from all specialties from all parts of the country rated their satisfaction with compensation at 3.59.

Here’s a look at differences in physician satisfaction with pay based on state and metro area.

States where physicians are unhappiest with pay

Physicians in New Mexico gave the lowest satisfaction ratings for pay, but physicians in a cluster of states in the Northeast said they were similarly unhappy with their pay. In New York, for example, physicians rated their satisfaction at 3.4, roughly 5% lower than the national average. Other states with low satisfaction ratings for pay included the District of Columbia (3.32), Delaware (3.38), New Jersey (3.40) and Pennsylvania (3.44).

Compensation for physicians in the Northeast has always been notoriously low. The conventional wisdom says that’s because of the large number of academic centers in the region, which tend to pay less, and the desirability of the area, which means employers don’t have to use compensation to attract job candidates.

Low pay doesn’t always equate to low levels of satisfaction with compensation. But an analysis from Marit noted that satisfaction rates in the Northeast are likely low because below-average compensation often comes with above average living costs. “That combination likely contributes to lower satisfaction scores,” a report from Marit said.

Here’s a list of the states with the lowest satisfaction rates for physician pay.

Worst seven states for physician pay satisfaction

New Mexico: 3.29

Hawaii: 3.2

District of Columbia: 3.32

Delaware: 3.38

New York: 3.39

New Jersey: 3.40

Pennsylvania: 3.44

States with highest satisfaction rates for physician pay

Several of the areas with the highest satisfaction in physician pay are in rural areas that Marit says tend to have lower costs of living. They include Nebraska (4.13), Arkansas (3.90) and Indiana (3.90). The Marit report noted that some states where physicians are happiest with their pay have “modest” levels of compensation, including Georgia, Utah and Utah.

Marit’s data found that across the nation, average physician compensation is $469,059. While Georgia makes Marit’s top 20 list of physician satisfaction with compensation, pay for physicians is slightly below the national average, coming in at $455,262.

Here are the states with the highest satisfaction rates for physician pay.

Top seven states for pay satisfaction for doctors

Nebraska: 4.13

Nevada: 3.95

Arkansas: 3.90

Indiana: 3.90

Iowa: 3.85

Mississippi: 3.85

Wyoming: 3.85

Metro areas and physician satisfaction with pay

Marit also looked at metro areas with the highest and lowest rates of physician satisfaction for pay. An analysis noted that metro areas typically report below-average pay for physicians and above-average satisfaction rates. Marit found that was the case for physicians in Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky.

A big exception to that rule is New York City, which has one of the lowest satisfaction ratings of pay by physicians in the country: 3.34.

Marit’s report also noted that satisfaction rates with physician pay by metro area can vary within the same state. In California, for example, physicians in Los Angeles earn an average of $427,000 and give their satisfaction with compensation a 3.30. In nearby San Diego, by comparison, physicians make about the same—$423,000—but rank their satisfaction with pay at 3.37.

Here are the lowest and highest rates of physician satisfaction with pay by metro areas.

Metro area pay: highest satisfaction rates for doctors

Las Vegas: 4.0

Salt Lake City: 3.9

Cincinnati: 3.84

Louisville: 3.80

Sacramento: 3.80

Oklahoma City: 3.78

Indianapolis: 3.78

Metro area pay: lowest satisfaction rates for physicians

Allentown, Pa.: 3.23

Baltimore: 3.34

New York City: 3.34

Tampa: 3.35

Pittsburgh: 3.35

San Diego: 3.37

Philadelphia: 3.38

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